Continuing advances in technology often leave people with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Tasks that once required physical activity have been eliminated, or rendered easier by innovation. By way of example, staircases have been supplemented by escalators and elevators, and walkways have been supplemented by people moving conveyors. As a result, on average, people are becoming increasingly unfit. Average body fat content, particularly in first world countries such as the United States, is creeping upward at an alarming rate. Office workers comprise some of the most sedentary workday lifestyles. Workers may spend hours behind a desk or on a computer as they draft documents, such as briefs, spreadsheets, reports, web pages or software, spend hours on phone calls, and frequently sit during extended meetings or seminars.
While technological advances have lessened physical activity, other advances have provided tools with which people can monitor their activity, calculate energy spent and track activity toward target fitness or weight loss goals. Example products include wearable health monitors, such as the FITBIT products of Fitbit, Inc., GEARWATCH products of Samsung and Garmin VIVOFIT products. Such devices may include tracking systems, using technologies such as GPS, cellular or local area network. They may also include a compass, accelerometer, temperature gauge or other hardware or software systems to facilitate health or exercise monitoring. Applications running on suitably equipped smartphones may also provide the same or similar functionality.